


sweet devotion

by aurcras



Series: live by the sun, love by the moon [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Pregnancy, Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2020, and mentions of sukka, with a healthy dose of zuki brotp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25605661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurcras/pseuds/aurcras
Summary: no one ever said pregnancies were going to be easy. he just wished he could control his temper better.for zutara week 2020 day three; fuse
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: live by the sun, love by the moon [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849807
Comments: 4
Kudos: 92
Collections: Zutara Week 2020





	sweet devotion

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys and welcome to my day three fic! it's late, of course, but it's still here. i thought this would fit the prompt very well, because y'know, short fuse, steambaby, etc. but anyway, this was a lot of fun to write, especially the zuki brotp bit! i have always adored their friendship, and i definitely would like to write more of it. plus somewhat domestic zutara because who can resist. anyway, i hope you all enjoy!

It had all started, like many things seemed to do lately, with Zuko losing his temper. 

He would argue that he had gotten a lot better with reeling it in than before. At least nowadays, he was able to restrain himself for a good five hours (though even that was pushing it), in intolerable company before he finally snapped. But while he’d shown considerable improvements, his temper was still shorter than most people’s.

Was that really a surprise though?

He was _Fire Lord_ , leader of all things fiery (as Aang, _unfortunately_ , liked to put it), and he could produce even the tiniest of flames from a single snap of his fingers. Not to mention that he could also quite literally breathe fire, an ability stemming from great control over his inner fire. So it was only logical that his element had seeped into the makings of his personality too, including a tendency for outbursts that required less ammunition to produce than others. 

But that wasn’t the problem here.

The problem was that he had royally screwed up (he could just imagine Sokka pointing out the unintentional pun and clapping him on the back for it), and he had only himself and his stupid temper to blame it on.

He _never_ should have tested her patience because Katara, the master waterbending Fire Lady who was also his beautiful wife was one thing, but Katara, the _pregnant_ master waterbending Fire Lady, and his beautifully scary wife was another. And he had been the idiot who had stupidly blown up at her while she was trying to make something clear to him.

Now that he had a clear head after drinking a whole cup of ‘calming’ tea without his Uncle’s prompting, he could finally concede that Katara _did_ have a point. And if he hadn’t been so unimaginably stupid, then maybe he wouldn’t have had his bed rights taken away from him. At least, that’s what he imagined his punishment to be once he properly talked to her. If only he heeded his Uncle’s warning, maybe then he wouldn’t have severely underestimated his pregnant wife.

Even his own _mother_ had warned him, and he’d only ignored that too. She riddled him with the notion that while his efforts to make his wife’s pregnancy comfortable were admirable, they would only serve to aggravate her more. It’d confused him initially because he didn’t think he was going too over the top with it. His wife was pregnant with their first child, the heir to the Fire Nation, and he had all the resources to help care for her so why wouldn’t he have done everything he could to help her? But by the time he had finally understood, it was too late. Their fight had arguably turned into one of their worst fights since they first married, and with his wife also heavily influenced by her pregnancy hormones, it made everything all the more disastrous.

Zuko just had no clue how to fix it. 

“I knew I’d find you here.”

He looked up from where he’d been squatting by the pond, squinting when a ray of sunlight flashed into his eyes. Zuko blinked, rubbing his eyes before they finally focused on the concerned newcomer, her short auburn hair coming into view. 

“I screwed up, Suki. So bad,” he bemoaned, looking down to gaze at the family of turtleducks swimming away from him. It usually comforted him, seeing the small raft of turtleducks as they paddled about the pond, feeding on some bread he tossed to them when he stopped by. But now, as he watched the mother turtleduck gently poke the beak of the father turtleduck in affection, he could feel his heart sink. Zuko drew his gaze away, sliding a hand down his face.  Even the turtleducks seemed to be doing better than he was at the moment.

He heard Suki shuffle, possibly lowering herself down to sit next to him, and he felt her place a hand on his shoulder. “I know. You guys weren’t exactly quiet about it.”

Zuko groaned louder, wanting to smack his face into a palace wall. “Who else heard?”

“Do you want me to be honest with you?”

He slowly peered up from behind his hand, glancing at his long time friend as she looked him in the eye. There was no judgement in her gaze, only concern, and understanding, and he felt his shoulders slump a little in relief. Suki was one of his top confidants for a reason and he was grateful she’d sought him out. It was always easy talking to her.

Zuko nodded, watching as she slightly grimaced.

“Everyone who wasn’t there probably already knows now. You know how fast gossip travels in these walls,” she pointed out, and he could only bury his face in his hands. Of course it had. What else would’ve he expected?

“Great. What am I supposed to do now? She won’t even talk to me."  


Suki remained silent for a few moments as he kept his face covered, the pile of regrets continuing to weigh down like a boulder on him.

“Are you calm?”

He frowned when she finally spoke, pulling his hands away to look at her. “Yeah? But what does that have to do with anything?”

She smiled encouragingly at him. “It’s the first step. You two are particularly hot-tempered,” he winced as she continued, “Katara even more now that she’s pregnant, so someone has to keep a cool head around here. And this time, it has to be you.”

Zuko’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “I calmed down a while ago. Uncle’s tea helped, but now I’m just…”

“Moping? Sulking? Being a little bit of a grump?”

He could hear the teasing in her voice and he scowled. “I was going to say _reflecting_.”

She grinned a little at him, waving him off.

“Moping, reflecting, same thing. Point is, you know where you went wrong, right?”

Zuko nodded. _That_ , he definitely knew. It was all he’d been thinking about for the past few hours, having cancelled all his appointments for the day just to sit by the pond and gather his thoughts. It had helped for a little while, but he couldn’t just stay seated there forever. 

“Now I do. I just can’t believe how stupid I was being. I should’ve known better, Suki,” he clenched the edges of his robe as he fixated his gaze across the pond, staring at a pillar. “I know better than anyone that Katara hates feeling like she can’t take care of herself. She doesn’t like being coddled or being treated like she’s some fragile glass doll, but I couldn’t help it. I got too carried away with the fact that she was carrying _our_ child, our _first_ child, and I was just so terrified of turning out like my father that I already blew it.”

He didn’t feel her squeeze his shoulder as he turned to her, eyes full of anguish. “Worst thing is is that the baby hasn’t even been born yet!”

Suki squeezed his shoulder again, her smile warm. “Hey now, it’s okay. You can’t expect a pregnancy to go fully smoothly, can you? No one can control the hormones, and it’s difficult enough just trying to deal with it. Honestly, I’d say this is pretty normal at this stage.”

Zuko blinked, his brows furrowing. “Really? Was that how it was for you and Sokka?”

She nodded, her face softening as she thought back to her own pregnancy. 

“It involved a little bit more moving around, from the South Pole back to Kyoshi Island, but yeah, it was. I could tell how worried he was, trying to get everything right, just wanting to make me feel comfortable. Sokka was freaking out whenever he thought I was straining myself too much. I had to whack him with a fan a couple of times before he finally snapped out of it.”

He could just imagine how panicky Sokka could’ve been, and he smiled to himself. It felt better knowing that he wasn’t the only one who felt like he was in over his head.Zuko just hoped he hadn’t been freaking out just as badly as Sokka was. That was crossing the line.

“I knew Sokka cared and I was touched, really touched. But sometimes it got a little too suffocating, and I think that’s how Katara felt when you tried making your servants do everything for her. Though once I finally talked to Sokka properly, he reined the overprotectiveness in. He just had to deal with all the food cravings I got, but he did a good job.”

Suki fiddled absentmindedly with the carving around her neck, and he smiled to himself as he thought back to his own wife. She wore the carved necklace he made for her like a badge of honour, and sometimes he caught her touching it with a fond smile playing on her face. Zuko’s heart ached. He missed her, terribly.

“Do you think… Do you think Katara would be like that too?”

She turned her head to look at him, “You know her better than I do, Zuko. What do you think?”

And he did, he knew better than anyone. In the end, all Katara had ever wanted was for him to understand. He accepted everything about her, saw her for who she really was, and maintained a level of understanding that was difficult to come by. It was a stain on his pride that he’d forgotten that, and he had to do everything he could to remedy his mistakes.

Suki smiled at him, determination blazing in his gaze, and patted his shoulder encouragingly.

“I’ll see you later. I have to make sure Sokka isn’t overfeeding Yue,” she spoke, Zuko almost laughing at the thought. “Good luck, Fire Lord.”

He rolled his eyes lightheadedly, offering her a grateful smile of his own. “Thanks, Suki.”

As she waved him off, walking over to ask one of the palace staff where her husband was, he took one last glance at the family of turtleducks swimming in the pond. If they could do it, so could he.  It was time to find his wife. 

* * *

Honestly, while he hadn’t expected to hear that Katara had fallen asleep in their bedchamber, the fight was draining enough that it made sense she’d sought comfort in sleep. He had taken the pond, and while it was an area they both shared quite intimately, the only other place in the palace they really called theirs was their bedchamber. Zuko only hoped that he would still be allowed to sleep in there tonight, once she’d awoken.

After sending off his servants, asking for no one to disturb them unless it was an emergency, he quietly stepped through the door and into their room. It was formerly the room of his mother when she was Fire Lady, the pair opting to use hers as neither wanted to be anywhere near Ozai’s (he had kept that room locked, never to be opened unless extra storage space was required). They initially proposed to use Zuko’s old room, not wanting to be separated, but the Fire Sages had insisted they follow tradition by using the chambers set aside specifically for the Fire Lord and Fire Lady of the nation. 

Katara hadn’t wanted to alter the room too much, already liking the way his mother had decorated the space, but she had begun to ensure that there was an even mix of blue and red when it came to its colour scheme. He hadn’t minded, of course, liking the fusion between both their cultures and elements that culminated in the drapery, bedsheets, furniture, and wall decor, and left Katara with total creative freedom over its design. The only thing he was concerned with was their bed, which was a lot comfier than the one he used to have, and he refused to have it moved.

Settled in the middle of that extremely comfortable bed was the sleeping figure of his wife, curled into a loose ball as she kept her hands over belly almost protectively. She was sleeping almost in the centre of their bed, limbs splayed a little into his section, but it wasn’t a foreign scene. They had spent many mornings and nights where she would be cuddled into his side, his arms wrapped snugly around her as Katara hummed in content at his warmth. There was always a large gap left where she was supposed to lay, but neither of them had minded too much.

Not only was his wife sleeping, but she was also sleeping in one of his sleeping robes. She hadn’t been wearing that during their fight, so maybe, just maybe, it had been a conscious fashion choice on her part. He didn’t really complain. If this meant that he possibly wasn’t too deep in trouble just yet, he would take it. 

Zuko approached the bed with quiet footsteps, honed by his days as the silent masked vigilante, with care not to wake her. He quickly grabbed the footstool at the end of their bed, moving it to settle right next to the edge of his bed where he could sit and admire his wife’s peaceful face. She really was beautiful. He’d first met her when she was only a young teenager, but even then, she was stunningly attractive.

And Katara only grew more so as the years had passed, her eyes as blue and vibrant as ever, exuding a nurturing warmth only she possessed. It had been a while since Zuko could just sit and stare at her, and while he wasn’t such a shallow man, he deeply appreciated just how beautiful his wife was. Not only that, but the steadily growing baby bump had made her glow in a way he’d never seen her before. His amber eyes dropped from her face to her stomach, lips curving into a small smile. Just a few months more, and he would meet the child formed from the love between a son of fire, and a daughter of water. He could hardly wait. 

Zuko couldn’t tell how long it’d been since he accidentally dozed off after admiring Katara, or how long he’d been rooted to his chair. But from the way he could no longer feel his behind, and how the pain in his back was now burning two-fold, he assumed it had been no more than a couple of hours. His eyes only fluttered open when his head accidentally hit the bed pole next to him, jolting him into a state of groggy consciousness. 

He blinked a couple of times in an attempt to adjust to the dim lighting, reaching up to rub his eyes when he paused. Staring back at him was a pair of ocean blue eyes, twinkling with something he wasn’t awake enough to digest.

“Hi.”

It came as a shock to him when he was the one who’d croaked out the greeting, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. 

“Hi,” she replied back, her head still resting on the pillow. “What are you doing here?”

Zuko scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks burning. “I uh, waited for you to wake up.”

Katara only raised a brow, taking in his possibly disheveled state. Note to self, use a seat where there was actually a backing when he fell asleep. The pain in his backside was really disconcerting.

“How long was I out?”

He shrugged, trying to think. “I think maybe four hours? I’m not sure. I uh, fell asleep too.”

She smiled wryly at him, “I noticed.”

He didn’t say anything just yet, watching silently as Katara slowly shifted to sit up on her bed. He could hear her grunt, trying to push herself up with the extra weight on her belly, and Zuko wanted to reach forward. But the last thing he wanted was to aggravate her, so he kept himself still, though his eyes held a look of concern that wasn’t going away any time soon. 

She soon relaxed against the pillows behind her, turning to look at him.

“This brings back memories,” she gestured to his waiting form, and he nodded.

“It does.” 

Zuko remembered how cold and uncomfortable he’d been that night, even as he used his firebending to warm himself up. But he was determined. He wasn’t going to move from that rock until he got to talk to her. She _needed_ to know, because if he ever got the same opportunity, he knew nothing would hold him back.

“So um—“

“I’m sorry, Zuko.”

He blinked, wondering if he’d misheard. The last thing he’d expected to hear from her was an apology. Not when it should’ve been him who had something to apologise for, just like he was going to. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I was just, so… so irritated with everything, I lashed out at whoever was nearby.”

Katara lowered her head, biting on her lip. “Unfortunately it was you.”

Zuko frowned, shaking his head. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen.

“No, Katara. I’m the one who should apologise, not you. I understand you now, I really do. I shouldn’t have made you feel as though you couldn’t do anything yourself. I know you’re pregnant, but that shouldn’t have made you treat you like you were a fragile glass doll, not when you’re anything but.”

He was almost afraid to look at her as he hung his head, but he felt a small tug on his sleeve that had him looking up. Her eyes weren’t full of fury like he’d expected. Instead, it was kindness, gentle understanding, and entirely forgiving. His heart almost burst.

“I get it, Zuko. You were worried. You didn’t want to mess anything up, and believe me, I’m grateful for what you’ve done. I know you were only trying to help me, and me feeling suffocated wasn’t intentional.”

She rubbed his arm as he placed a hand on top of hers. “Still. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I know my temper gets the better of me sometimes, but it was still the wrong thing to do.”

Katara shook her head, offering him a small smile.

“It’s okay. It’s a stressful time. And like I said, I was just so irritated with everything this morning, I couldn’t help myself. I hated how much my back was hurting, how hard it was to find a good position before I could finally sleep, how sluggish I felt when I woke up, how my emotions always felt like they’re going everything and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. I just felt like a bloated elephant whale, and it’s—“

Suddenly, she had erupted into tears and Zuko panicked.

He stood up on reflex, reaching over to her with unsure hands. Even now, he still didn’t know how to properly approach women crying, nonetheless his crying pregnant wife. It broke his heart to hear how much the pregnancy had stressed her, and how he couldn’t do much to help. 

“No, Katara. You’re not an elephant whale. You’re beautiful, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Zuko finally decided to take hold of both of her hands, sitting on the side of the bed next to her. He rubbed soothing circles on the back of her palms, trying to calm her down with a little bit of warmth. Much to his relief, she hiccuped, her tears slowing down.

“You’re— You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” she whimpered, and he shook his head. Maybe he was, but he also wasn’t.  


“I’m serious. You’re beautiful Katara. You’re strong, clever, kind, caring, and you’ll be an amazing mother. Our child is lucky to have you.”

Katara flashed him a watery smile, pulling one hand out of his grasp to gently caress his scarred eye. He leaned into her touch, lightly pecking the side of her palm, and she smiled wider. “Our child is lucky to have you too.”

He raised a brow, unsure. “How do you know that?”

“Because Zuko, you’re already a fantastic father.”

Zuko eyed her in confusion. 

“I am? How? The baby isn’t even born yet.”

She nodded, a hand going over to rest over her belly. His gaze followed her hands, a smile playing on his lips at the sight. 

“Because everything you’ve done for me and the baby so far? We couldn’t have been more lucky.”

She reached over to grab his hand, gently placing it over her enlarged belly. On instinct, he warmed his hand just a tad, Katara instantly relaxing as she let out a sigh in content. 

He looked up at her. “I love you, you know that?”

Katara squeezed his hand, “I know.”

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against her belly as he felt her run a hand through his hair. She easily picked out the headpiece from his topknot, swiftly untying his hair before laying them both to rest on their nightstand. 

Zuko brushed his hair lightly, smiling crookedly at her. 

“So uh, will I still be able to sleep in here tonight?”

Katara only rolled her eyes, spreading her arms out wide. “Of course, you dummy. Now get in here. We’re cold.”

He grinned at her, slipping under the covers with ease. She shuffled to the side a bit to give him some room as Zuko wrapped his arms snugly around her waist. Katara leaned back to rest against his chest, the both of them closing their eyes. 

They would soon welcome a child born of fire and water, and neither could hardly wait.


End file.
